Ball-bearing.



N0. 841,063. PATENTED JAN. 8, 1907. J. F. SPRINGER.

BALL BEARING.

' APPLICATION FFFFFF ASE-22.1905.

L U B1 WITNESSES: INVENTOB I I ATTORNEYS No. 841,063. PATENTED JAN. 8,1907.

J. F. SPRINGER.

1 BALL BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22; 1905.

2 snmswnzm 2.

Nrrnn s'raas ATENT JOHN FRANKLIN SPRINGER, OF GIRARD, PENNSYLVANIA.

BALL-BEARING.

No. senor Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1907.

Application filed my 22, 1905. Serial No. 261,727.

' description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedball-bearing arranged to insure a true rolling motion of the balls,unaccompanied by sliding between balls and the bearings, to bear heavystrains, and to allow convenient adjustment with a view to taking upwear, and more especially designed for use on journal-bearings and thelike, in which the main portion of the strain is approximatelyperpendicular to the axis of the shaft The invention consists of novelfeatures and parts and combinations of the same, as will be more fullydescribed hereinafter and then pointed-out in the claims.

A-practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings,

forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 isa longitudinalsectional elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2is a transverse sectionof the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa like view of the same on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is alongitudinal sectional elevation of a modifiedform of the shaft-bearingand its ball-races. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the improvement.Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the improvement, showingthe hub-bearing provided with two abutting conical surfaces andcorresponding shaft-bearings and Fig. 7 is a like view of the same,showing the hubbe'aring provided with three abutting conical surfacesand corresponding shaft-bearings On the axle or shaft A, as illustratedin Figs. 1, 2, and 3, is arranged a shaft-bearing in the form of aplurality of members B, having annular ball-races C, made V-shaped incross-section and containing sets of balls D in frictional engagementwith the conical inner surface E of a hubbearing F. The members B of theshaft-bearing screw on the threaded portion of the shaft A and can thusbe adjusted relative to each other, and the members after properadjustment is made arti llfiltl in position by nuts G and H, screwing onthe threaded portion of the shaft A and engaging opposite faces of eachmember B. The nut G is preferably in the form of a disk projectingbeyond the members Band having notches at its periphery for conveniently turning the nut to screw the same on the threaded portion of theshaft A. The

end of the hub-bearing F having the smaller opening is engaged by a setof bails I, arranged in ball-race J, formed in the face of a member K,screwing on the threaded portion of the shaft or axle A and held inplace between nuts H and G, screwing on the said threaded portion. Bythe arrangement de- }scribed an end-thrust bearing is provided for thehub-bearing F.

. If desired, the shaft-bearing may be in the form of a single member B,as illustrated in Fig. 4, and provided in its peripheral face with theseveral annular ball-races C for the sets of balls D to run in, themember B screwing on the threaded portion of the shaft or axle A andheld. in position thereon, after proper adj ustmen t is made, by nuts Land L.

By reference to Fig. litwill be seen that the inner surfaceE of thehub-bearing is conical, and the balleraces C increase in diameter fromthe end of the'hub-bearing having the smaller opening toward the otherend there- 'of, and the sizes of the balls in the different setsincrease as one goes in the same direction. For any set the sizes of thecircles of contact, both those traced on the balls by the bearings andthose traced on the bearings by the balls, are so related as to insurefreedom from frictional slide between balls and bearings. In order toproduce the desired result, it is necessary in the case of any setofballs'to make the. radius of contact traced by this set of balls on thesurface E of the hubbearing F have to the radius of the correspondingcircumference traced by the hubbearing F .on a ball in the set the sameratio as that which the radius of either circle of contact traced by aball of the same set on the shaft-bearing has to the radius of eithercorresponding circumference traced by the shaft-bearing B on a'ball D inthe same set. In order to explain this more clearly, reference is had tothe diagrammatic view shown in Fig. 5, in which R, denotes the radius ofthe circumference traced by any one of the balls D on the hub-bearingsurface E, and 7,

indicates the radius of the corresponding circumference traced by thehubcaring surface E on the same ball D. R,,denotes the radius of eitherof the equal circumferences The first of the equations guarantees thatwhether the hub-bearing Frotates with the shaft-bearingB relativelyquiescent, or the 20 shaft-bearing'B rotates withth'e hub-bearing Frelatively quiescent, or whether both rotate in posite directions, theeffect lproduced-by the hearing-surfaces on the bal is precisely thesame-that is, a true rolling motion is produced, unaccom anied byfrictional slidlng between the ba ls D and the bearings F and B. Thesecond equation is an evident requirement of the figure. (See Fig. 5.)AS- sume now, for instance, the inclination of the generatrix of thehub-bearing surface E to the aXis of the shaft A to be fifteen degreesand the inclination of either of the sides of any one of theball-racesC, before referred to, to be forty-five degrees. Also assume four 3 5sets of balls and the sizes of the balls in the sets to bethree-sixteenths of an inch, onefourth of an inch, five-sixteenths of aninch, and three-eighths of an inch. in diameter. In Fig. 5-the angle (Lbc is e ual to fifteen de grees and the an le'e d 'c orty-five degrees,

the smallest ball then 1 r1=rcos.15=r(.9659)=(. 0938)(.9659)=.0906m=rcos.459:r(.7071)=(.0938)(.7071)=.0663

Introducing these vahgasin the equations above given, the values of R,and R are readily determined-that is, R, equals @5854, R equals .4285.In a like manner the values of 1-, 1', R R for the other sets of ballscan be readily obtained-that is, for the balls of a diameter ofone-fourth of an inch it is found that 1', equals .1207, 1', equals.0884, R, equals- .7805, R equals .5714. For "the balls of a diameter offive-sixteenths of an inch it is found that 1', equals .1509, 7", equals.1105, R, equals .9756, R equals .7142. For the balls of a diameter ofthree-eighths ofan inch it is found that 1", equals .1812, r equals.1326, R, equals 1.1708, R equals .8570. If it should be desired to addmore ball-races and sets of balls for the same bearing, the calculationsmay be made in a similar manner.

It is evident that the sizes of the balls, the

T pound bearing shown in Fig. dconsists of two bers and their sets ofballs may be increased and if r is three thirty-seconds of an inch forti inclination of the generatrix of the hub-bearing to the axis, andthat of either of the twin faces of the corresponding ball-race to thesame axis may all be varied, and, further, all may be varied repeatedlyin one and the selfsame ball-bearing. It will be necessary, however, tohave the angle of the former inclination continually smaller than thatof the latter and in all cases the two equations must be satisfied.

In the foregoing is shown and described a bearing havingsingleconicalsurface E, and

such bearing Without the end-thrust bearing constitutes a bearingelement and two, three,

or more such bearing elementsmay be come 8c bined end to end to formcompound bearings having the same axis as shown, for instance,

in Figs. 6 and 7, such compound bearings requiring no end-thrustbearings. The com- 8 5' bearing elementsthat is, the hub-bearing F is.provided with the surfaces E and E in the form of frusta of cones havingthe same axis and abutting at their small or apex ends. The conicalsurfaces E and E are engaged by sets of balls D I and D, respectivelyheld in the. ball-racesC (1 of the shaft-bearing members B and B,secured onthe shaftor axle A As shown in Fig. 6, two shaft-bearingmembers 13 and their sets of balls D are 95 employed for the conicalsurface E, and four shaft-bearing members B and their sets of balls Dare used for the conical surface E but the said number of shaft-bearingmemor diminished without deviating from the invention, it beingunderstood that as a minimum a single shaft-bearing member and. corresonding set of balls may be employed for surface E1 or E In the modifiedform shown in Fig. 7 three bearing elements are combined-that is, thehub-bearing F is provided with the conical bearing-surfaces E, E, and E,engaged by the sets of balls I), D, and D ,of which the set of balls Dis mounted in a ball-race C on v the shaft-bearing member Bfisecured tothe shaft A while the sets of balls D l) are mounted in-ball-races C C",formed on the shaftbearing member 13 likewisesecured on I 5 I the axleor shaft A I It is understood that the ball-races O o "C (shown in Fig6) may each or both be in a single shaft-bear1ng member, and likewisethe ball-races C C and C may be all in one sin- I 20 gle shaft-bearingmember or all in separate shaft-bearing members, if desired, and as suchconstructions involve either the one shown in Fig. 1 or Fig. 4 orcombinations f thereof further illustration and descri tion of 5 thesame is not deemed necessary. t is expressly understood, however, thatthe relation of the hub-bearing surfaces, the sets of balls,

and the ball-races, and the shaft-bearing members is the same as abovedescribedin 3 reference to Figs. 1 and 5. It is also under stood thatthe various surfaces E, E or E E E may vary in inclination of theirgeneratrices to the shaft-axis, and so likewise bearing andshaft-bearing, although I do not limit myself strictly to hubs andshafts, asthe invention may be used on devices not having hubs andshafts, but members having the same relation to each other as thehubbearing and the shaft-bearing shown and described. 1

It is understood that by the arrangement set forth a true rolling motionof the sets of balls is obtained, and consequently the sliding frictionof the balls in their contact with the bearing parts is reduced to aminimum.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and. desire to secureby Letters P atent- 1 'A compound ball-bearing comprising a hub-bearingprovided with a plurality of conical bearing-surfaces having the sameaxis, a shaft-bearing having its axis coinciding with that of the saidhub-bearing, the shaft-bearing having annular races, and sets of ballsfor the said races and in contact with the said conicalbearing-surfaces, the diameters of the balls in successive sets of ballsbelonging to a conical hub-bearing surface increasing in di ameter withthe increase in the annular lines of contact of the sets of balls wit'hthe corresponding hub-bearing surface.

2. A compound ball-bearing comprising a, hub-bearing provided with aplurality of con'* ical bearing-surfaces having the same axis, ashaft-bearing having its axis coinciding with that of the saidhub-bearing, the shaftbearirig having annular races, and sets of ballsfor the said races and in contact with the said conicalbearing-surfaces, the balls ineach set being alike, the diameters of theballs in successive sets of balls belonging to a conical hub-bearingsurface increasing in diameter with the increase in the annular lines ofcontact of the sets of balls with the corresponding. conical hub-bearingsurface.

3. A ball-bearing comprising a hub-bearing having a conicalbearing-surface, a shaftbearing having its aXis coinciding with that ofth'e said hub-bearing, the shaft-bearing having annular races, and setsof balls for-the said races and in contact with the saidbearing-surface, the balls in each set being alike, and the diameters ofthe balls in successive sets of balls increasing in diameter with theincrease in the annular lines of contact of the sets of balls with theconical hub-bearing surface.

4. A compound ball-bearing comprising a hub-bearing provided with apluralityof conical bearing-surfaces having the same axis, a

shaft-bearing having its axiswoinciding with that of the saidhub-bearing, the shaft-bearing consisting of rings having annular races,and sets of balls for the said races and in contactwith the said conicalbearing-surfaces, the balls in each set beingalike,the diame ters of theballs in successive sets of balls belonging to a conical hub-bearingsurface increasing in diameter with the increase in the annular lines ofcontact of the sets of balls with the corresponding conical hub-bearingsurface.

5. A ball-bearing comprising a shaft-bearing consisting of a pluralityof rings provided with ball-races and adjustable toward and from-eachother in the direction of the axis of the shaft-bearing, sets of balls,one set for each ball-race, the balls in each set being alike in sizeand the size of balls in the different sets varying in diameter,andahubbearing having an internal conical bearingsurface in contact withthe said sets of balls.

6. A compound ball-bearing comprising a hub-bearing provided with aplurality of conical bearing-surfaces having the same axis, ashaft-bearing having its axis coinciding with that of the saidhub-bearing, the shaft-bearing consisting of rings having annular races,sets of balls for the said races and in contact with the said conicalbearing-surfaces, the balls in each set being alike, the diameters ofthe balls in successive sets of balls belonging to a conical hubbearingsurface increasing in diameter with the increase in the annular linesofcontact of the sets of balls with the corresponding conical hub-bearingsurface, and means for adjusting and maintaining adjustment of the ringsforming the shaftbearing.

7. A ball-bearing comprising a plurality of ball-races, sets of balls,one set of balls for each ball-race, the balls in each set being alikein size and the size of balls in the different' sets varying indiameter, and a conical gearing-surface engaging the said sets of a s. 1Y

8. A ball-bearing comprising a plurality of ball-races of V shape incross-section and varying in diameter, sets of balls, one set of ballsfor each ball-race, the balls in each set being alike in size and thesize of balls in the different sets varying in diameter, and a conicalbearing-surface engaging the said sets of balls.

9. A ball-bearing comprising a shaft-bearing having a plurality of ballraces, sets of balls, one set for each race, the balls in each set beingalike in size and the size of balls in the sets varying in diameter, anda hub-bearing having aninternal conical bearing-surface in contact withthesaid sets of balls.

10. A ball-bearing comprising a shaftbearing formed of a plurality ofball-races of increasing diameter and adjustable toward and fromeachother in the direction of the races, and a hub-bearing having aninternal Witnesses:

axis cf the ehaft-bearin sets of balls, one In testimony whereof havesigned my set for each balLrace, t 0 sets of balls inname to thisspecification in the presence of creasing in diameter of the balls inproportW subscribin%witnesses tion to the increase in the diameters ofthe JOHN RANKLIN SPRINGER.

' conical bearin -surface 111 contact. with the L. B. JONES,

said sets of be e. L. G. PEoK.

